Indian Society for Buddhist Studies

Author(s): Prachya Vidyapeeth
Publisher: Prachya Vidyapeeth

Page 80

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Re-incarnation of Dalai Lamas in the History of Tibetan Buddhism
Vivek Sharma, Jammu
Buddhism first came to Tibet in the seventh century through two wives of the Tibetans monarch Sangtsen Gampo (605or 61749), princess one from Nepal and other from China who brought Buddhist statues to Tibet. Both the Nepalese and Chinese queens were Buddhists and deeply impressed him with their spiritual sensibility. He decided to introduce formally into his country in order to bring the benefits of the civilization to his people. While King Songtsen had five wives and three of them were from Tibet. Buddhist flourished in Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen who invited the monk, Madhyamaka philosopher, and logician Śantārakita from Nālandā and the Indian Tantric Yogi Padmasambhava to come to Tibet. Śantārakita ordained Tibetan monks, establishing the Sangha in Tibet, while padmasambhava gave tantric initiation and teachings. Śantārakita also encouraged the Tibetans king to have Buddhist texts translated into Tibetan.
Reincarnation is the philosophical or religious concept that the non physical essence of a living being starts a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. It is also called rebirth or transmigration, and is a part of Samara doctrine of cyclic existence. The word reincarnation comes from the Latin roots re, meaning again, and incarnate, meaning to make flesh. It is a central tenet of Indian religions namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, although there are Hindu groups that do not believe in reincarnation but believe in an afterlife. The early Buddhist texts discuss rebirth as part of the doctrine of Samsara. This asserts that the nature of existence is a suffering laden cycle of life, death, and rebirth, without beginning or end. This research paper will be discussing about the lineage of Dalai Lamas in the history of Tibetans Buddhism, but main focus will be on the role of reincarnation of Dalai Lamas in Tibetan Buddhism.
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